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Childhood's End (Stargate Atlantis)
Encyclopedia
"Childhood's End" is the 6th episode of the series and in the first season
of the military science fiction
television series Stargate Atlantis
. The episode first aired in the United States on August 13, 2004 on the Sci Fi Channel
and on Sky One
in the United Kingdom
on November 16, 2004. It was the first episode to be written by executive producer Martin Gero
, and directed by David Winning
. The episode portrays Major Sheppard
and his team arriving on M7G-677, a planet
where the inhabitants ritually sacrifice themselves when they reach the age of twenty-five. "Childhood's End" earned a weak Nielsen rating though the episode was generally well received by critics and fans alike.
because they believe it keeps the Wraith
from coming back to the world. The team discover this isn't the case when they try to find out what brought their puddle jumper down. They find a device powered by a Zero Point Module (ZPM) which acts as a sort of an electromagnetic pulse device which disables all electrical devices within the radius, including those of the Wraith and the Atlantians; the Wraith have never returned because, even if they simply landed outside the field, they would subsequently lose their technological advantage.
Dr.
Rodney McKay
believes that the ZPM will allow the Atlantis team to power the Atlantis shields and takes it upon himself to bring it back to Atlantis, but Sheppard tells him to be quick, as one of the natives he has befriended — Keras, one of the village 'elders' — is going to kill himself the next day. However, upon returning, he is ordered by Dr. Weir
to return it; the ZPM is effectively useless to Atlantis, as it only has enough power to keep their shield running for a few hours, while it is the planet's only defense and could maintain its shield for at least several more years.
McKay also learns that the suicide pact is actually connected to the device; the shield has only a limited range, so the suicide pact
was created as a means of population control
to stop them expanding too far. Prior to McKay's re-activation of the emitter, a Wraith scout's radio, long deactivated due to the emitter's activity, becomes active and begins broadcasting a distress beacon. Wraith scouts are immediately dispatched, nearly resulting in a confrontation between John Sheppard
's team and some of the natives who believe they are responsible for this change, but McKay reattaches the ZPM, the emitter is re-activated, and the scouts are unable to broadcast any data back to their hive ship of origin. As they depart, McKay reveals that, although the ZPM's power is limited, he has managed to work out a means of expanding the shield, allowing for population growth and rendering the suicide pact unnecessary — at least for the next couple of generations. As he departs, Sheppard gives Keras a birthday present of a bag of chocolate, commenting that such a thing is traditional on birthdays back on their planet.
revealed to the public. The title is a reference to Childhood's End
by Arthur C. Clarke
. This is nothing new in the Stargate series; two episodes of Stargate SG-1
were named after Sir Arthur C. Clarke novels of The Space Odyssey series
, namely "2001" and "2010". This is the only episode in the Stargate franchise
to be directed by science fiction
veteran David Winning
. Courtenay J. Stevens originally played the role of Lieutenant Elliot in Stargate SG-1, appearing in the Season 5 episodes "Proving Ground", "Summit" and "Last Stand". Writer Martin Gero
compared Ares in "Childhood's End" to a villain in The Incredibles
. In the scene of the final confrontation with Major John Sheppard
, he begins "monologuing," which is a key feature of villains in the film. The effects team of the episode built the village
and took care of all the decoration in the episode. This is the first episode of the series which doesn't deal with the overall mythological arc of the series. This is also the first episode written by Gero, as he joined the Stargate franchise writing staff earlier that year (2004). He was able to join the writing staff of Stargate Atlantis, since they were undermanned at that time.
of 1.9, beating the rating for that weeks episode of the sister series
, Stargate SG-1
. The episode was first broadcast in the United States
on August 13, 2004 on the Sci Fi Channel
, later it was broadcast on Sky One
in the United Kingdom
on November 16, 2004. The episode debuted on broadcast syndication in the United States on October 24, 2005. The episode won three awards, the first two being the Chicago International Film Festival
and WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival were the episode won in the category "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Drama Direction" for David Winning
. It also won an New York Film Festival
award in the category "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Drama". "Childhood's End" is the only episode in the series which has been nominated and won one of these awards.
Stargate Atlantis (season 1)
The first season of the television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 16, 2004, concluded on The Movie Network in Canada on January 31, 2005, and contained 20 episodes. The show was a spin off of sister show, Stargate SG-1...
of the military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
television series Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
. The episode first aired in the United States on August 13, 2004 on the Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
and on Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on November 16, 2004. It was the first episode to be written by executive producer Martin Gero
Martin Gero
Martin Gero is a Canadian screenwriter and co-executive producer for Stargate Atlantis.Born in Switzerland, Gero spent much of his childhood in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended Canterbury High School for the Arts and Ryerson University in Toronto...
, and directed by David Winning
David Winning
David Winning is a Canadian and American dual Citizen film and television director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and occasional actor. Although Winning has worked in numerous film and TV genres, his name is most commonly associated with science fiction, thrillers and drama.-Biography:Winning...
. The episode portrays Major Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
and his team arriving on M7G-677, a planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
where the inhabitants ritually sacrifice themselves when they reach the age of twenty-five. "Childhood's End" earned a weak Nielsen rating though the episode was generally well received by critics and fans alike.
Plot
The Atlantis team suddenly loses control of their puddle jumper and crashes. Investigating the electromagnetic field that made them crash, the team discover that the planet they've landed on has no one over the age of 25. They soon learn that upon turning 25, the people of this society commit suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
because they believe it keeps the Wraith
Wraith (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...
from coming back to the world. The team discover this isn't the case when they try to find out what brought their puddle jumper down. They find a device powered by a Zero Point Module (ZPM) which acts as a sort of an electromagnetic pulse device which disables all electrical devices within the radius, including those of the Wraith and the Atlantians; the Wraith have never returned because, even if they simply landed outside the field, they would subsequently lose their technological advantage.
Dr.
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
Rodney McKay
Rodney McKay
Doctor Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about a military team exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices...
believes that the ZPM will allow the Atlantis team to power the Atlantis shields and takes it upon himself to bring it back to Atlantis, but Sheppard tells him to be quick, as one of the natives he has befriended — Keras, one of the village 'elders' — is going to kill himself the next day. However, upon returning, he is ordered by Dr. Weir
Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)
Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...
to return it; the ZPM is effectively useless to Atlantis, as it only has enough power to keep their shield running for a few hours, while it is the planet's only defense and could maintain its shield for at least several more years.
McKay also learns that the suicide pact is actually connected to the device; the shield has only a limited range, so the suicide pact
Old for young
Benevolent suicide refers to the self sacrifice of one's own life for sake of the greater good. Such sacrifice may be for sake of executing a particular action, or for sake of keeping a natural balance in the society. It is a theme or concept of a custom of sacrifice typically found within certain...
was created as a means of population control
Population control
Human population control is the practice of artificially altering the rate of growth of a human population.Historically, human population control has been implemented by limiting the population's birth rate, usually by government mandate, and has been undertaken as a response to factors including...
to stop them expanding too far. Prior to McKay's re-activation of the emitter, a Wraith scout's radio, long deactivated due to the emitter's activity, becomes active and begins broadcasting a distress beacon. Wraith scouts are immediately dispatched, nearly resulting in a confrontation between John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
's team and some of the natives who believe they are responsible for this change, but McKay reattaches the ZPM, the emitter is re-activated, and the scouts are unable to broadcast any data back to their hive ship of origin. As they depart, McKay reveals that, although the ZPM's power is limited, he has managed to work out a means of expanding the shield, allowing for population growth and rendering the suicide pact unnecessary — at least for the next couple of generations. As he departs, Sheppard gives Keras a birthday present of a bag of chocolate, commenting that such a thing is traditional on birthdays back on their planet.
Production
"Childhood's End" was the first working title for an episode of Stargate AtlantisStargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
revealed to the public. The title is a reference to Childhood's End
Childhood's End
Childhood's End is a 1953 science fiction novel by the British author Arthur C. Clarke. The story follows the peaceful alien invasion of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival ends all war, helps form a world government, and turns the planet into a near-utopia...
by Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
. This is nothing new in the Stargate series; two episodes of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
were named after Sir Arthur C. Clarke novels of The Space Odyssey series
The Space Odyssey series
The Space Odyssey series is a science fiction series of four novels and two films created from 1968 to 1997, primarily by the writer Arthur C. Clarke...
, namely "2001" and "2010". This is the only episode in the Stargate franchise
Stargate
Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
to be directed by science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
veteran David Winning
David Winning
David Winning is a Canadian and American dual Citizen film and television director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and occasional actor. Although Winning has worked in numerous film and TV genres, his name is most commonly associated with science fiction, thrillers and drama.-Biography:Winning...
. Courtenay J. Stevens originally played the role of Lieutenant Elliot in Stargate SG-1, appearing in the Season 5 episodes "Proving Ground", "Summit" and "Last Stand". Writer Martin Gero
Martin Gero
Martin Gero is a Canadian screenwriter and co-executive producer for Stargate Atlantis.Born in Switzerland, Gero spent much of his childhood in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended Canterbury High School for the Arts and Ryerson University in Toronto...
compared Ares in "Childhood's End" to a villain in The Incredibles
The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by...
. In the scene of the final confrontation with Major John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
, he begins "monologuing," which is a key feature of villains in the film. The effects team of the episode built the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and took care of all the decoration in the episode. This is the first episode of the series which doesn't deal with the overall mythological arc of the series. This is also the first episode written by Gero, as he joined the Stargate franchise writing staff earlier that year (2004). He was able to join the writing staff of Stargate Atlantis, since they were undermanned at that time.
Reception
"Childhood's End" reached a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 1.9, beating the rating for that weeks episode of the sister series
Sister show
Sister shows are two or more television shows which exist in the same fictional universe and which may have crossovers. They differ to a degree from spin-offs in that shows may air simultaneously, rather than being derived from, and replacing, another. The popularity of most shows is limited to a...
, Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. The episode was first broadcast in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on August 13, 2004 on the Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, later it was broadcast on Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on November 16, 2004. The episode debuted on broadcast syndication in the United States on October 24, 2005. The episode won three awards, the first two being the Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
and WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival were the episode won in the category "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Drama Direction" for David Winning
David Winning
David Winning is a Canadian and American dual Citizen film and television director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and occasional actor. Although Winning has worked in numerous film and TV genres, his name is most commonly associated with science fiction, thrillers and drama.-Biography:Winning...
. It also won an New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
award in the category "Outstanding Achievement in a Television Drama". "Childhood's End" is the only episode in the series which has been nominated and won one of these awards.
External links
- Childhood's End at mgm.com
- Transcript from GateWorld. Transcribed by Callie Sullivan. Visited May 14, 2006.